From the Archives: ‘Emulate Sita and Savitri, be courageous’, Gandhi's advice to Hindu women
Gandhiji also told Hindu women- because they enjoyed more freedom than their Muslim sisters- to mix with Muslim women so that mutual understanding might grow.
“Emulate Sita and Savitri. Be courageous”. This was Mahatma Gandhi's message to a large number of women when they met him here on Sunday in front of his cottage.
Addressing the women, Gandhiji observed that it was often said that women were naturally weak- they were abalas. He advised the women not to believe such things. Women, in his opinion, could be as hard as men. Could anybody think of Sita or Savitri as less courageous than any man in any country? No woman, therefore should think that she was naturally weak (an abala) and thus demean herself.
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Gandhiji also advised the women to utilise their time in spinning. If in addition, there daily household duties they engaged themselves in spinning, they would thereby supplement their income. If they could spin for at least an hour every day, they could supply yarn to the weavers who had been struggling from want of it. The weaver could get yarn from them and the cloth problem which is so acute could be solved to an extent.
Gandhiji also told Hindu women- because they enjoyed more freedom than their Muslim sisters- to mix with Muslim women so that mutual understanding might grow.
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